In a largely chaotic race – action-packed actually from the drop of the inexperienced flag, it was Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing’s Chris Buescher who prevailed in additional time in Sunday’s Go Bowling at The Glen – passing street course ace Shane van Gisbergen in a bumper-to-bumper final lap duel to say his first profession street course victory on the famed Watkins Glen (N.Y.) Worldwide.
Van Gisbergen took the lead from the second row in a daring three-wide transfer on an additional time restart, however Buescher chased him down. Buescher’s No. 17 RFK Racing Ford and van Gisbergen’s No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet made contact within the course’s well-known Bus Cease, then Buescher slid his Mustang inside van Gisbergen’s Camaro within the Esses and motored off to a 0.979s win over the Kiwi famous person within the second Playoff race of the season.
“We got here right here to be spoiler. We’re going to try this.”
Chris Buescher walked via his race-winning transfer on Shane van Gisbergen. #NASCAR pic.twitter.com/HYj4B7aw46
— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) September 15, 2024
Spire Motorsports’ Carson Hocevar, Trackhouse Racing’s Ross Chastain and Spire’s Zane Smith rounded out the highest 5. Stewart-Haas Racing’s Chase Briscoe completed sixth, adopted by Entrance Row Motorsports’ Michael McDowell, Spire’s Corey LaJoie, SHR’s Ryan Preece and Group Penske’s Austin Cindric.
Briscoe and Cindric had been the one two Playoff drivers to complete among the many prime 10 in what was a perpetually dramatic day for the 16 Playoff drivers racing for the NASCAR Cup Collection championship.
“Oh man, it was such a superb Ford Mustang. Velocity was so nice and long term velocity phenomenal,” mentioned the 31-year-old Texan Buescher, who simply missed qualifying for the Playoffs when Briscoe gained the common season finale at Darlington three weeks in the past.
“I believed we misplaced it there on the final one however, man, to remain proper there with him… It was a spot he was higher than us, however he simply missed it so I attempted to cross over and simply … laborious racing. What an superior end. To be that good for a lot on the finish of the race – all race – to get a win is nice.
“We got here right here to be spoilers and we’re going to try this.”
Van Gisbergen, who gained the Chicago Avenue Race final season in his first ever NASCAR Cup Collection begin, was an element all day as anticipated for the previous Australian Supercars champion, who will compete full-time within the NASCAR Cup Collection subsequent 12 months within the No. 88 Chevrolet for Trackhouse Racing.
“Driver error, yeah,” van Gisbergen mentioned of his slip within the Bus Cease. “I knew Chris was actually going to ship it and push me if he might get there and as I turned again I used to be a bit unfastened and clipped the within wall. Simply driver error and I’m gutted.
“The race was actually superior there with Ross [Chastain] and Chris and the others on the finish, I’m gutted we couldn’t get it. We had a variety of enjoyable, however I’m fairly indignant at myself.”
It was a becoming dramatic ending to a day that shook up the Playoff standings from the opening lap to the ultimate lap (92). Twelve of the 16 Playoff drivers suffered some form of “problem” on the day.
Reigning NASCAR Cup Collection champion Ryan Blaney – who led the factors standings getting into the race — was eradicated from the race on lap one after being innocently caught up in collision that included half a dozen automobiles, together with fellow Playoff opponents Denny Hamlin, Brad Keselowski and Christopher Bell.
It was only the start of a protracted, difficult day for Hamlin who was concerned in one other accident mid-race. He was a part of a three-wide line of Playoff drivers – additionally together with Kyle Larson and Keselowski – making an attempt to make it via the monitor’s well-known Esses. Sadly for Hamlin, there wasn’t sufficient room for three-wide challenges and his No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota once more suffered harm.
Larson and fellow Playoff drivers, common season champion Tyler Reddick, Bell, Hendrick Motorsports’ Chase Elliott and William Byron had been concerned in a number of incidents all through the day.
The high-speed, high-action day ended a streak of 5 consecutive Hendrick Motorsports wins on the historic 2.45-mile Watkins Glen monitor. Among the many Playoff drivers, Larson completed twelfth, adopted by Trackhouse Racing’s Daniel Suarez, Bell and Logano rounding out the highest 15.
Hendrick’s Alex Bowman was 18th, adopted – so as — by teammate Elliott and Joe Gibbs Racing’s Martin Truex Jr.
JGR’s Ty Gibbs was twenty second, adopted instantly by his teammate Hamlin and Wooden Brothers’ Harrison Burton. Keselowski was twenty sixth and Reddick twenty seventh. Byron ended up thirty fourth and Blaney was thirty eighth, the primary automobile out.
These outcomes imply that with one race left on this opening three-race Playoff spherical, Bell holds a three-point edge on Cindric atop the standings with Bowman 5 factors again. Logano’s win at Atlanta two weeks in the past scored him an computerized bid into the following spherical.
Heading into Saturday evening’s first spherical elimination race at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway, Hamlin is now ranked thirteenth, six factors under his JGR teammate Gibbs on the cutoff line. Keselowski is 12 factors again, Truex is now 14 factors again and Burton is 20 factors off the switch place.
“I believed our Camry was stable, wanted to be higher on lengthy runs for positive, however labored laborious and persevered and had a good day, however as all the time you get the cautions on the finish and guys simply run via you,” mentioned a annoyed however decided Truex, who ran up entrance early and was – at one level – greater than a dozen factors above the cutoff line.
“It’s simply loopy all these races all the time come right down to this, and I don’t actually perceive how guys can name themselves the most effective on the planet after they simply drive via everybody on restarts on the finish of those races,” Truex added. “It’s very irritating, however it’s what it’s as of late.”
The NASCAR Cup Collection will conclude a triple-header race weekend on the famed Bristol high-banks with Saturday evening’s Bass Professional Outlets Evening Race (7:30 p.m. ET on USA Community, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, NBC Sports activities App). Denny Hamlin is the defending winner.
